Base type range finder



Oct. 27, 1936. 1 MlHALYl 6 2,058,484

BASE TYPE RANGE FINDER Filed May 23, l9 35 19 20 FIG. 1.

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Joseph Whalyi, Rochester, N. Y.,asdgnor, by

mesne assignments, to Eastman Kodak Com- Pally, Jersey City, N.

Jersey 3., a corporation or New Application May a, 1935. Serial No. ,zaoss This invention relates to range finders for determining the distance an observed object is spaced from the point of observation and more particularly to a small portable base type range .finder in which an adjustable element is employed to bring into coincidence two partial views of an object whose distance is being determined. It is an object of the invention to provide a small compact range finder of simple and inex- 1o pensive construction, which will measure relatively short distances accurately and in which range scales are provided so that the distance measured may be read directly while viewing an object through the eye-piece or if desired may be noted after the finder has been removed from the eye.

The invention resides in certain improvements in construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described in con nection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: r

Fig. i is a side elevation in section of a range finder constructed in accordance with and illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-'-2 of Fig. i; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the exterior of the adjusting ring of the finder; and,

Fig. 5 is a View showing the images of an object field'out of alinement as they appear to an observer prior to adjustment of the device.

The finder of the present invention is of the 3 type in which two simultaneous images of an object are formed and the distance is measured by noting the amount of adjustment necessary to bring these images into register.

' The range finder as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a suitable housing consisting of upper and lower sections it and i 6 respectively which are of a form adapted for die-casting, and the various parts oi the finder are so arranged that they may readily be mounted in the lower section it, after which theupper section 88 may "55 a mirror ill arranged at an angle of approximately between the windows i2 and it and is so positioned, as shown in Fig. 2, as to mask off the lower half of the window I? so that the field of view as seen through the eye-piece it and the window 62 is the upper half of the two simultaneous images formed by the finder. Securely mounted in the other end of the housing and behind the window It is a second mirror i8 which-is positioned to reflect the light received through the window it onto the mirror H and thence out through the eye-piece it. A mask is having a rectangular opening 29 is mounted on the lower half of the casing M by means of a suitable screw it, and the opening 2G is so located in the mask it as to be vertically offset with respect to the direct window 52, which is left uncovered by the adjustable mirror ii.

By reason of the fact that the efz'ective openings of the windows l2 and is are vertically oii'set with respect to each other, it will be evident that the two images as viewed through the eye-piece it will be vertically adjacent and comprise complementary halves of the complete held of view.

The indirect window is is mounted in a flanged retaining ring 22 journaled in the front wall-oi the housing and its flange is held into engagement with saidwall by means of a semi-circular flatspring 23. The ring 22 is rotatable in the housing and has its rearwardly extending end formed with a cam surface 2%. The pivoted lever it is provided with a cam following end 25 which is held in resilient engagement with the cam lit by means of a spring member 26 formed in tegrally with the lever it and bearing against the rear wall of the housing.

Immediately behind and preferably in contact with the window it is mounted a cover glass it which may he of any suitable transparent material. This cover glass may, if desired, be given a distinctive tint or, as will hereinafter appear, may be prodded with a graduated scale for indicating the position of the ring 22.

Manual adjustment of the ring 22 rotates the cam surface 28 to alter the angular position of the mirror ii whereby the two images viewed through the eye-piece may be brought into verti- 'cal alinement or'registration. Inan'nueh as the adjustment of the ring 22 necessary to bring the two images into coincidence or vertical registry is proportionalto the distance of the object viewed, this ring may be provided with suitable scales for indicating this distance. Accordingly, the cover glass is is provided with a male 2? which is adapted to cooperate with an index pointer 23- formed in the mash i 9, and a small lens element moving it from his eye, so that if so desired he may immediately proceed to determine another distance or distances, such as the nearest and the most distant object which he desires to include within the depth of field of the focus of his camera.

The adjusting ring 22 is also provided on the front face of its flange with a graduated scale 32 so that if desired the distance may be noted after the finder has been removed from the eye of the observer.

The adjustable mirror ll carried by the pivoted lever it is mounted on a small plate 33 provided with a raised embossing ht which rests for universal movement in adepressed embossing 35 iormed in the lever it. Universal adjust' ment of this plate 33 and therefore the mirror ll relatively to the lever it is obtained by means of four screws 36 headed in the plate 33 and threaded in tapped holes formed in the lever I8. With this arrangement the mirror it may be adjusted in assembling-the finders so that the two partial images, as shown in Fig. 5, are neither separated nor overlapped at their dividingline. I

For convenience in carrying the finder of this invention, it is provided with pocket clip 37 which is secured to one end ofv the housing by means of a headed screw 38 which fits into a threaded aperture 39 in the end of the housing. aperture 39 when the headed screw 38 is re moved, makes it possible to secure the finder to "a camera so that it at all times will be available for use.

From the above description, it will be clear that the present invention provides a base type range finder of the split field'coincidence type which is compact, easy to assemble and adjust, and convenient to use.

When using the range finder of the invention the observer places his eye near the eye-piece it and directs the finder to bring into view the object he wishes to photograph or to learn its distance from him. He now rotates the ring 22 'until the two images are in vertical coincidence and then reads the scale 2? without removing the finder from his eye, or he may remove the finder and read the object distance from the external scale 32.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the range finder specifically described .above without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 01 the United States is: 1. In a range finding device, a housing, two

This

aosaasa openings spaced in one wall of the housing, a third opening in the opposite wall and in alinement with one of said two openings, whereby an object field may be viewed directly, an arm pivoted in the housing, a mirror mounted on the arm and positioned between said alined openings and extending into the field of view as observed through said third opening, a stationary mirror mounted in the housing to receive light entering the other of said two spaced openings and sition of the mirror on the arm relatively to the stationary mirror, a cover glass mounted in said ring, a scale on said cover glass and a lens element mounted between said two mirrors for bringing said scale into the field of view as observed through said third opening.

.2. In a range finding device, an elongated housing containing the base of the range finder, two spaced beam accepting'openings in one wall of the housing, means for directing the beam accepted by one of said openings along the base of the finder, an opening constituting an eye-piece in the opposite wall of the housing and in line with the other of the beam accepting openings, means in the housingfor deflecting out through the eye-piece the beam directed along the base and so positioned that the field of view as observed through the eye-piece is divided approximately in half in a horizontal direction, each half consisting of a different beam accepted by said spaced openings, means for adjusting said defleeting means to vary the relative positions of the views of said field, a graduated scale positioned in theindirect beam accepting opening and-movable with said adjusting means and a lens mounted in said housing and in the path 01' the beam directed along the base of the finder for bringing said scale into the field of view of an observer looking through said eye-piece.

3. A range finder including means for forming two partial views of a distant object of which views one is observed directly through an eyepiece and an alined window and the other is observed indirectly through the eye-pieceand a.

. window to one side of the alined window, two spaced light deflecting elements for directing 

